Voto Latino has changed many lives since its inception 10 years ago, but there is one person in particular who was so inspired by its movement that she continued on to make it her life's mission to empower other Latino Millenials to have their voice heard -- and vote counted.
When Montañez was introduced to the possibility that he could be hired on by the Frito-Lay company, he was already aware that gaining that job could and would feed his destiny. At the Voto Latino Power Summit on April 12th, Montañez shared this story; the origin tale that led to his present day success.
Richard Montañez, who's been christened "the godfather of Hispanic branding," is a best-selling author, the inventor of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, the CEO and owner of Adelante Public Affairs & Communications, a former janitor, and an acclaimed motivational speaker. He stepped onto the stage with gusto, putting hundreds of millennials to shame with his unbridled energy at the early hour. Montañez, author of A Boy, A Burrito, and A Cookie, took to the stage, and applause rang for a long while before he spoke. He praised previous speakers before he dove into his own personal story, which began in a Southern Californian town called Gausti.
Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr. exited the stage at the Voto Latino Power Summit on April 12, and Voto Latino's CEO and President Maria Teresa Kumar thanked Diaz for his powerful and well-chosen words before she called up a man whom she simply called Lemon. Lemon Andersen (born Andrew Andersen) is a Tony Award-winning poet, spoken word artist and an actor, who was an original cast member of "Russell Simmons' Def Jam" on Broadway, and he has shot four films with Spike Lee.
Wilmer Valderrama, actor/producer, political activist and Voto Latino's Artist Coalition Co-Chair, may have the political chops to run for office, but will he consider it?In art and in life, Wilmer Valderrama wears many hats. His TV gigs include Fez, the awkwardly funny foreign exchange student on "That '70s Show," MTV series "Yo Momma," the voice for the animated character Manny in the children's show "Handy Manny" and now a crime lord named Don Carlos in Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" on El Rey Network.
The 40-year-old Democrat was elected into office five years prior to his father's election to the New York City Council, and was in fact the youngest person elected to the legislative since Theodore Roosevelt. During his stay with the Assembly, Diaz has sponsored, co-sponsored and passed legislation that's addressed public record access, tenants' rights, environmental racism and senior citizens' rights.
"¡Sí se puede!" said actress and Voto Latino Co-Founder and Chairwoman Rosario Dawson as she addressed a sea of driven and high-spirited Latinos (and some non-Latinos) during the Voto Latino Power Summit kickoff on April 11 at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. The crowd eagerly looked on, craving inspiration during a time when change for Latinos is within reach, but still too far to fully grasp without the help of the powers that be who need to sign the dotted line to implement real, concrete change.
The Voto Latino Innovators Challenge, the organization's tech contest, is meant to challenge Millennials to not only learn outside of the classroom, but to create outside of the classroom and to think outside of the box. With the support of the MacArthur Foundation, and in partnership with HASTAC, Voto Latino will award a total of $500,000 in grants to the best 10-15 proposed projects.
Millennials and tween-agers filled the ranks; filed in close, stood-at-attention, ready to absorb knowledge and wisdom. Maria Teresa Kumar, Rosario Dawson, and Wilmer Valderrama arrived ready to lay down knowledge on the doting audience -offering valuable perspective on Latino emergence, prevalence, and the excellence of the group.
Voto Latino, the non-partisan organization that's charged with helping millennials claim a better future for themselves and their community, and is committed to continual acts of Latino progression, has helped to promote the knowledge that Latino issues are American issues.
